Convertible tableware



3,257,024 CONVERTIBLE TABLEWARE Stephen B. Semanchik, 728 Shelton St., Bridgeport, Conn. Filed Sept. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 397,488 2 Claims. (Cl. 22023.83)

This invention in general relates to convertible tableware and more specifically to a table dishware and the like which can be readily converted from one use to another to thereby enhance the versatility of a particular tableware piece.

Heretofore, dishware for table use has been designed for a specific application or service. For example, a dessert dish is constructed so that it is not practical for use as a cup, saucer, and vice versa. Also a steak plate, in common use today, is not practical for the serving of liquid foods such as soups and the like.

Another difliculty generally encountered in conventional cup and saucer combinations is that the spillage, due to overflowing or overfilling of the cup, collecting in the bottom will form about the bottom of the cup placed on such saucer. Consequently, when the cup thus seated in the overflowed liquid of a soucer was lifted to a persons mouth, the liquid on the exterior surface of the cup would drip. More often than not the drippings would fall on ones dress or clothing to soil the same. This dripping is particularly aggravating in formal company.

Also, the commonly used tableware is not readily stackable, and for this reason such tableware was difficult to store or handle. This condition was particularly aggravated in commercial establishments where the storage and portage of tableware is of utmost importance.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide an improved tableware construction that renders the same readily convertible from one usage to another.

' Another object is to provide a convertible tableware wherein like pieces can be readily stacked One on the other.

Still another object is to provide a cup and saucer combination in which the cup is seated on the saucer in a manner which prohibits external dripping in the event of overflow or spillage of the liquid in the cup.

Still another object is to provide a cup and saucer combination in which the respective cup and saucer are specifically constructed to enhance either the stacking of like cups, one on the other, or of like saucers one on the other, or of stacking of cup and saucer combinations on like cup and saucer combinations.

Still another object is to provide a saucer combination which when placed on one side forms a saucer, and which when turned over on its other side forms a dessert dish or the like.

Other features or advantages will become more readily apparent when considered in view of the drawings and description in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved saucer construction in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the saucer construction disclosed in FIG. 1 shown in combination with a specific cup construction;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the saucer and cup construc tion of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken across line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawings there is shown the improved convertible and stackful tableware of the instant invention. In FIGS. 1 through 4 there is shown a cup and saucer combination 10 in which the concept of the instant invention is applied. The saucer 11 comprisesa dish shaped plate or member that may be formed of any suitable material, as for example plastic, glass, chin-a orthe like. The plate has opposing first and second sides 11a and 11b, respectively, which constitute a saucer side to United States Patent 3,257,024 Patented June 21, 1 966 support a cup 18 and a dish side to contain a comestible. The construction of the saucer, as best seen in FIG. 4,

comprises a dish having a raised center portion 12, that is circumscribed by a peripheral wall 13 projecting upwardly and downwardly thereof. While the saucer or dish may assume any desired shape or configuration, in the illustrated embodiment the dish is shown as being circular with the wall 13 disposed intermediate the center of the dish and an annular ridge 14. A marginal portion 15 extends between the wall 13 and the ridge 14 to define a trough 16 extending about the wall 13. Accordingly, the trough 16 is thus defined as being below the saucer side of the center portion of the dish 12. The wall 13 constitutes the inner periphery of the marginal portion 15 and the outer periphery of the central portion 12.

As thus seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the edge 13' of the wall nontiltable base for the inverted dish.

A ridge 17 extends from the second side of the marginal portion and is disposed substantially normal thereto, the ridge 17 being annular and being disposed concentric with the ridge .14 and spaced radially outwardly therefrom. The ridge has an outer edge, which is adapted to sit on a support, when the saucer side of the plate is in use, as shown in FIG. 4. With the structure described it will be noted that the saucer may be used to support a cup 18 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. It will be understood that in accordance with the present invention, when the saucer is inverted to place the concentric ring-17 in upright position (not illustrated) the plate will function as a dish for any desired comestible. For this purpose, the center portion 12 is spaced slightly from the outer edge 13' of the Wall 13 and spaced considerably greater from' the edge 13" of the wall 13. Thus, the center portion and the ridge 17 define a bowl-like dish adapted to contain a comestible. Of course, the marginal portion can be used for steaks or the like, without such foodstufis necessarily coming into direct contact with the center portion.

The marginal portion is formed on the dish or second side 11b with an annular groove 17B concentric with and circumscribing the wall 13 and adapted to receive the upper edge of a cup covering the cup or the one edge 13 of the wall 13 of another similar plate in stacking such plates.

Adapted to be used in conjunction with the saucer illustrated in FIG. 1, is a novel cup 18.- As shown, the cup 18 comprises a member having a recessed bottom wall 19 that is circumscribed by a ridge 21. The arrangement is such that the ridge 21 extends slightly below the bottom 19 of the cup 18. The raised bottom thus formed has a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the ridge 13. The arrangement, as shown in FIG. 4, is such that when the cup 18 is placed on the saucer, the edge 13 of the wall 13of the saucer is received within the recessed bottom portion 19 of the cup 18. Thus the cup is centered and maintained in definite relationship with respect to the saucer.

Further, it is to be noted that the cup 18 sits above the bottom of the saucer 11. Thus in the event of spillage or overflow of the cup contents onto the saucer, the excess liquid or overflow will tend to accumulate in the bottom of the trough 16 circumscribing the ridge. By seating the bottom of the cup 18 on the edge 13', the bottom of the cup 18 is spaced above any liquid tending to accumulate in the trough portion of the saucer. Accordingly, the

3 cup 18 will not and cannot sit in a pool of any liquid or overflow collecting therein. Consequently, the external dripping and soiling of ones clothing resulting from such dripping is prohibited.

As with the construction described like saucers orlike cups may be stacked one on the other and/or a cup and saucer may be stacked on a like cup and saucer. Accordingly, the groove or recess 17B formed in the bottom of the respective saucers 11 opposite the annular wall 13 functions to receive either the upper edge of a next preceding stacked cup 18, or the wall 13 if saucer is stacked on saucer. Thus the saucer is rendered stackable either on a like saucer and/ or on a cup associated therewith.

If desired, a handle 20 may be provided for the cup, although it is recognized that such handle construction is not essential to the instant invention.

For maintaining the beverages placed in a cup hot, the saucer 11 may be used as a cover for a cup 18. The specific stackable construction of the saucer 11 described also functions to maintain a tight seal or closure on the cup. When used as a cover for the cup, the groove formed in the bottom is utilized to receive the upper end of the cup. Also, the groove facilitates the stacking of the cup and saucer, one on the other.

Accordingly, the tableware herein described is thus rendered versatile in use in that it is susceptible of several different applications. For this reason the number of kinds and types of tableware necessary for any given table setting, can be minimized. This advantage is of considerable importance in commercial establishments. As the construction of the tableware herein is such as to permit stacking, a maximum number of units can be stored in a minimum amount of space. Also the respective stacking feature renders the portage of several pieces of tableware more feasible. Another important feature of the construction is that the tableware may be stacked and carried with relative safety even when in use. This feature is important in commercial restaurants or the like.

While the instant invention has been described and illustrated with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it will be readily understood that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. For use as a saucer or cover for a cup and as a dish for a comestible, a reversible plate having opposing first and second sides constituting a saucer side to support a cup and a dish side to contain a comestible and to cover a cup, said plate comprising a central portion and a marginal portion radiating outwardly from the central portion, said marginal portion having opposing first and second sides corresponding to the first and second saucer and dish sides of the plate, a first annular ridge extending from the second side of the marginal portion and disposed substantially normal thereto, a second annular ridge extending from the first side of the marginal portion and disposed substantially normal thereto, said ridges being concentric, with the second ridge spaced radially inwardly from the first ridge, an annular wall concentric with the ridges and disposed radially inwardly from the first ridge, an annular wall concentric with the ridges and disposed radially inwardly of the second ridge and constituting the inner periphery of the marginal portion and the outer periphery of the central portion and connecting the central and marginal portions, said wall having opposing edges, one of said edges being coplanar with the outer edge of the second ridge; the wall, the first side of the marginal portion and the second ridge constituting an annular trough surrounding the central portion, said one edge of the wall and the outer edge of the second ridge serving as commonly functioning supports for the plate when the dish side is in use so that the plate is non-tiltable, the other edge of the wall being substantially coplanar with the second side of the marginal portion, and said second side of the marginal portion having an annular groove concentric with and circumscribing the wall and adapted to receive the upper edge of a cup in covering a cup or the one edge of the wall of another similar plate in stacking such plates.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said central portion is disposed within the wall and is spaced slightly from the one edge of the wall to support therewith the bottom of a cup and is spaced a considerably greater distance from the other edge of the wall to constitute with the wall and the first ridge a bowl-like dish adapted to contain a comestible.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,799,147 7/ 1957 Crawford 220-2383 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,037,795 9/ 1953 France.

296,544 9/ 1928 Great Britain. 382,879 11/1932 Great Britain. 411,142 6/1934 Great Britain.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. J. B. MARBERT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. FOR USE AS A SAUCER OR COVER FOR A CUP AND AS A DISH FOR COMESTIBLE, A REVERSIBLE PLATE HAVING OPPOSINT FIRST AND SECOND SIDES CONSITUTING A SAUCER SIDE TO SUPPORT A CUP AND A DISH SIDE TO CONTAIN A COMESTIBLE AND TO COVER A CUP, SAID PLATE COMPRISING A CENTRAL PORTION AND A MARGINAL PORTION RADIATING OUTWARDLY FROM THE CENTRAL PORTION, SAID MARGINAL PORTION HAVING OPPOSING FIRST AND SECOND SIDES CORRESPONDING TO THE FIRST AND SECOND SAUCER AND DISH SIDES OF THE PLATE, A FIRST ANNULAR RIDGE EXTENDING FROM THE SECOND SIDE OF THE MARGINAL PORTION AND DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL THRERTO, A SECOND ANNULAR RIDGE EXTENDING FROM THE FIRST SIDE OF THE MARGINAL PORTION AND DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL THERETO, SAID RIDGES BEING CONCENTRIC, WITH THE SECOND RIDGE SPACED RADIALLY INWARDLY FROM THE FIRST RIDGE, AN ANNULAR WALL CONCENTRIC WITH THE RIDGED AN DISPOSED RADIALLY INWARDLY FROM THE FIRST RIDGE, AN ANNULAR WALL CONCENTRIC WITH THE RIDGE AND CONSTITUTING RADIALLY INWARDLY OF THE SECOND RIDGE AND CONSTITUTING THE INNER PERIPHERYH OF THE MARGINAL PORTION AND THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF THE CENTRAL PORTION AND CONNECTING THE CENTRAL AND MARGINAL PORTIONS, SAID WALL HAVING OPPOSING EDGES, ONE OF SAID EDGES BEING COPLANAR WITH THE OUTER EDGE OF THE SECOND RIDGE; THE WALL, THE FIRST SIDE OF THE MARGINAL PORTION AND THE SECOND RIDGE CONSITUTING AN ANNULAR TROUGH SURROUNDING THE CENTRAL PORTION, SAID ONE EDGE OF THE WALL AND THE OUTER EDGE OF THE SECOND RIDGE SERVING AS COMMONLY FUNCTIONING SUPPORTS FOR THE PLATE WHEN THE DISH SIDE IS IN USE SO THAT THE PLATE IN NON-TILTABLE, TO THE OTHER EDGE OF THE WALL BEING SUBSTANTIALLY COPLANAR WITH THE SECOND SIDE OF THE MARGINAL PORTION, AND SAID SECOND SIDE OF THE MARGINAL PORTION HAVING AN ANNULAR GROOVE CONCENTRIC WITH AND CIRCUMSCRIBING THE WALL AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE UPPER EDGE OF A CUP IN COVERING A CUP OR THE ONE EDGE OF THE WALL OF ANOTHER SIMILAR PLATE IN STACKING SUCH PLATES. 